Fresh, robust, ripe and delicious, with loads of peppery red and black fruit, complemented by lush oak notes that suit the fruit well. What it may lack in elegance, is more than made up for by the warmth and intensity of the wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for sediment and started drinking within 5 minutes. Beautiful wine in a lovely spot. Still very fresh and vibrant and full of ripe, dark fruit with touches of spice. A wonderful example of Cab Franc. Solidly straddling near the extraordinary realm of wines. Ready to drink now, over time gets more herbaceous and heavier. Super long finish, silky smooth texture keeps drawing you in for more. Probably at or slightly past peak, but should keep evolving over the short term. We have one more which we plan to drink within the next 5 years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
No decant, the wine opened up immediately after pouring in the Glas. Red color with brownish boundaries. Ripe dark fruit and a wonderful sweetness in the nose. Round and silky texture. Long, elegant finish with very polished tannins. A fully developed wine. I would not wait too long although I think there are some more years left. But I doubt that the wine will develop further.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decant strongly advised to get rid of the sediment. Ripe dark and red berries presented in a somewhat sweet, jammy fashion. Plenty of dried herbs and over time also more fresh, minty notes. Over time turned gamy as dried meat flavors emerged. Tertiary aromatics linger somewhere in the background but very subtle. A full-bodied cab franc with good depth to it. Fresh and clearly red fruit on the palate, a tad acidic maybe, but with perfectly integrated tannin. This is in a great state right now. Even if more tertiary aromatics could potentially add additional layers to the complexity with more bottle age, I’m worries this is not structured for much more aging. I'm just at the beginning of exploring the Le Macchiole range but I have to say I was already impressed by the Messorio (2012, 2013) and the Paleo 2001 is again great and for me even a whisker ahead of the 2013 which was probably one of the top 3 vintages since 2001. Will look to check out the 2010 and 2012 hopefully soon. As you would expect from a great Super-Tuscan, this combines Old World elegance with New World ripeness and power. Unfortunately, often this doesn't work. But Le Macchiole figured it out.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This was a stunningly fresh bottle; while I'm not prone to be as exuberant is Galloni is, this bottle is showing very well after nearly two decades, most of the stored in the coolest part of my passive cellar. And I've not had a Paleo of later vintage that matches this effort. Bright, acidic, perhaps a bit polished, showed very well against some other excellent Tuscan/Central Italy wines. I had debated whether to drink in this context or with French cab francs, and glad I made this decision. To my palate outshone an 01 Brunello from Ciacci, an 04 Flaccianello (which showed better than the last one I had), or an 06 Giusto di Notri which was the proximate cause of brining this wine...
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Splash decanter and poured, this played perfectly the role of middle of party, ready-to-drink, interesting and pleasurable to the sophisticateds and the couldn’t-care-lesses. Dense dark and lush; nothing like a Loire cab franc. The oak and fruit gave integrated with age into some lovely toffee notes. Great showing without demanding an ovation.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
An interesting Wine to have followed over the years. Fully mature but with lots of life left. Rich, creamy fruit profile with some forest notes. Despite the heft, it is not heavy and finishes well. Good stuff. (93)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Double decanted from magnum and consumed with a variety of Italian cuisine at Lucca DSM, this wine was very much as I expected: a very modern, very extracted version of cab franc. Three of the four at the table really liked it. Admittedly it is a sexy wine, and demands very little. Big yet balanced, silky texture, and long finish. Fruit seemed black cherry/cranberry. Those who prefer that will likely love the wine. After 17 years, the end seems nowhere near from magnum. On the other hand, this wine could have been made from any number of grapes, and could have been from anywhere in the world. If I drank it blind, I would not have been surprised to learn it was a Cali cab or an Argentinian malbec. Could ascertain neither typical cab franc vegetal/barnyard nor Tuscan herbs. Nota bene: It threw off an enormous amount of sediment prior to dinner.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The first vintage of Paleo that was 100% Cabernet Franc. 13,5% alcohol. Tasted alongside most of the Paleo vintages from 2013 to 1993.
Luminous and pretty translucent cherry red color that surprisingly lacks the developed tawny hue of the surrounding vintages. Sweet but quite restrained nose with subtle aromas of ripe blackcurrant, some black cherries, a little bit of tobacco, a hint of raisin and a touch of earthiness. The new oak aromas seem to have integrated pretty fully with the fruit at this point. The wine is medium-bodied, quite dry and pretty structured on the palate with intense flavors of wizened dark forest berries, some sweet raisiny fruit, a little bit of astringent berry skin character, a little bit of earthiness and hints of roasted spices and pipe tobacco. The acidity feels high and the tannins still retain quite a bit of grip, giving the wine firm and chewy texture. All in all the age is finally starting to show slightly and the pieces seem to fit here quite perfectly. The finish is long, grippy and a bit bitter with intense and pretty savoy flavors of wizened dark berries, fresh sour plums, some prunes, a hint of earth and a touch of cigar box.
A very harmonious and beautifully aged vintage of Paleo that is a bit more elegant and low-key than many of the surrounding vintages, yet still the wine retains that pretty tightly-knit and serious structure that is the hallmark of this wine. Flavor-wise the wine is starting to reach its apogee, but the structure is still so very tightly-knit that I can imagine it will take many years more for the wine to fully resolve in that department. Might gain a further point with more bottle age. A fine Paleo vintage and an impressive effort to be the first vintage in this new style.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
dark ruby color, triatry leather aromas with green pepper bouquet, medium body, well structured with soft firm tannins and good acidity. long aftertaste, very complex. aging pot: 5-8 years
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
quality mature Italian wine tasting (at my home): dark opaque red-purple rich dark fruits nose with green-bell-pepper notes and truffles-leather hints full bodied, silky tannins, rich fruity flavours, excellent balance, harmony and structure, well complexed, dark fruits, truffles, tobacco, eucalyptus hints, long finish and aftertaste. excellent wine. ready now.
15 hours later: the wine is fully aired, still very enjoyable and in excellent condition.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drank the 2012 and 2001 Paleo. What a great expression of Cabernet Franc. The 2012 was fresh and needs some time. The 2001 is fully developed and should be drunk if you own it. A great producer, great wines.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Absolutely fabulous! Cork wet up to the half-way point. Beautiful lively deep purple. Bosque-y aromas. No decant or air time. Instant hit of ripe fruit, followed by a panoply of a thousand points of flavor. Nice level of acidity. Tannins present but never intruded. Silky texture. Oh, how I hope that remaining bottles deliver at this level.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Still deep garnet color. Interesting nose of spicy green pepper and blackberry sorbet. A bit of vanilla bean as well. Rich but not heavy palate - saturating and modern in profile. Very nice but could use a bit more flavor interest - a bit of a bruiser. (89)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Sourced from Premier Cru. Had high hopes for this bottle. Corked extracted easily, streaked up by 1/3. Surprisingly deep color. Shy aromas. Initial taste showed a thin and hollow flavor, dominated by tartness. Left the bottle open for around 2 hours, hoping that the wine would gain some weight with air. Alas, not to be. Drinkable, but fruitless.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nose: graphite and tar, currants Flavor: Dried cranberry, currant and strawberry Profile: dry, old world, mildly tannic, oaky This bottle is perhaps 25-30% past peak, but still in decent shape and enjoyable to drink.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Corked. Now this is just too bad, partly because I've been wanting to taste it, but also because there was an undeniably huge, pretty core of gorgeous fruits just underneath the blanket of TCA. Sigh.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This bottle was consumed over two nights. Medium deep red. Fresh aromas. Assertive flavor profile, but less of fruit than tobacco and oak elements. Nice acidity--not at all flabby. Tannins nicely hidden until emerging on the finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Really enjoyed this. Soft, elegant and dry, lots of leather and tobacco along with the darker fruits. Along with the Flaccianello, my favorite of the night.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Refreshingly pure expression of Cabernet franc, minty, smooth, blackberry, earthy and perhaps a touch of sweet vanilla/charred oak. Lighter wine, but with real character and very classic to type.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very dark red-black. Pleasant classic Cabernet Franc aromas, refined nose of tobacco, berry fruit, light spices and minerals. Classy in its flavors, complex, elegant, with notes of chocolate, vanilla & earth. Plenty of silky tannins. Medium finish. Can be enjoyed on its own or with delicate meat. Hard to recognize that it's 100% Cabernet Franc. Enjoyable!!!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Typical dry Italian wine, still quite tannic and showing some oak in the background. Earthy, mushroom, mint, blackberry flavors. Kind of a chameleon of a wine, changing as it opens up, but overall smooth and somewhat lighter for a "super Tuscan". Set some aside and it really opened up the next day and was still drinking well two days later.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Polished wine, very smooth, mellow tannins, some herbal/green notes, but balanced by blackberry, tea and woodsy fruit. Hard to tell that this is 100% Cab Franc, but clearly European wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Only had a small glass but was noticeably fuller and sweeter than the other Italian wines consumed last night. Nice wine but I think it still needs time or a good decant.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Elegant, soft, round, full-bodied black cherry fruit with slightly herbal and stony flavors, excellent structure, nice minerality, very dry, finish a little short, showed bottle age, very much at its peak
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Toscana triumvirate, round #1, meeting #2 (at Yagil's): (opened 4 hours before consumption to below shoulders) Very dark red-black. Pleasant classic Cabernet Franc aromas, refined nose of tobacco, berry fruit, light spices and minerals. Classy in its flavors, complex, elegant, with notes of chocolate, vanilla & earth. Plenty of silky tannins. Medium finish. Can be enjoyed on its own or with delicate meat. Hard to recognize that it's 100% Cabernet Franc. Enjoyable!!!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Once uncorked, this busty, luscious old world wine takes over. Savored with duck at LaTour in Ridgewood, NJ; a solid pairing. Dry, rich, flavorful, spicy, this Tuscan beauty brings back memories of my trip there this past fall. A must have for a serious cellar; this will drink well for the next several years, but there's no need to wait; start drinking now!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Rich but elegant, terrific Cab Franc (though to me tastes more like a Merlot/Cab Franc blend), this has been an extremely consistent performer for me. Perhaps a hint of leafy/tobacco, but mostly this is ripe fruit with raspberry and blackberry, chocolate, and cedar.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
100% Cabernet Franc. Dramatic change in style from previous. Very Cabernet in the nose - leafy, cedary, focused and expressive. Structured yet flowing on the palate. Fresh and mineral, red fruit, velvety tannins. Cedar and spices in the finish. Tasted at the producer.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wow! Paleo is always amazing. Starts with tobacco leaves, fresh herbs, a touch of wet earth, all together with ripe red fruit, a hint of sandalwood, a touch of vanilla. All perfectly balanced together with harmonious acidity. Tannins still there...this one has still a long life ahead.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Really fine, elegant cab franc with great Tuscan soul and acidic streak. Elegance was a nice counterpoint to some bigger, more extracted Cali examples, including Jonata... I'm a big believer in this wine, though the group seemed to prefer the Cali examples
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Year-End Wine Salon (Mirabelle Restaurant): Oak, turpentine, primary fruit, classic Italian wine funk, briary underbrush and rosemary stem. Violets, charred earth and oak. Certainly not terrible, but too oaky and cloying for me to find it exciting.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The Salon's first lab (Mirabelle Restaurant Austin, Texas): Had dark fruit, earthiness, some tobacco, blackberry, cherry, even cranberrry fruit. Was balanced, big, and bold, a bit rustic but full-bodied and a mouthful - a favorite of the salon.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
(At Cloalis restaurant with the Sextet) opened 2 hours before serving and reduced to LS. Pleasant classic Cabernet Franc aromas, refined nose of tobacco, berry fruit, light spices and minerals. Classy in its flavors, complex, elegant, with notes of chocolate, vanilla & earth. Plenty of silky tannins. Medium finish. Can be enjoyed on its own or with delicate meat. Enjoyable, though I had higher expectations after having started knowing this wine with the 2004 Paleo.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Blind Italians: Medium dark murky garnet. Baking spices dominate the quite oaky nose, although some smoky herbs creep into the picture as well. Round but with a peppery jazz to it. This was believed to be the Il Carbonaione by myself and the group.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Maybe 90 pts. Another soaked cork (not a joke) with very solid tasting wine. There was definitely an herbal element to this 100% cab franc wine. I suspect that my bottles are not the wine that this could be. Purchased from Premier Cru. This bottle had a large amount of sediment.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
100% cabernet franc/13,5%, dark purple color, the nose is very good, with chocolate, herbs, and berries. On the palate (after 2-3 hours), nice acidity with a mix of chocolate, spyces, tobacco, and berries (lack in harmony). Strong and rustic tannins. Moderate complexity and finish. Needs time (at least 3-5 years). Now-90. Can improve 2-3 points.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
For some reason, this was not in my cellartracker inventory. Odd. Anyway, while my wife was at book club, and I had the kids, I popped and poured this wine. The color is a rich dark color, but with purple edges. On the nose, it smells of cinnamon, twigs, and cherries. On the palate, this is a very, very soft wine. Feminine, smooth, and plums. It has that funny Italian thing, which makes it truly Italian for me. No big tannins. Smooth, soft and subtle, yet with some good underlying fruit. A little mismatched with the grilled curry vegetables I cooked up, which were big, vibrant, bold and spicy. Would pair better with pasta. Once I got rid of the big over-the-top spicy food, I appreciated the very soft and very plum infused wine. Very open. Very fruity. Reminds me of an Andrus Reserve, before Gary Andrus left. The nose is not the thing with this wine, but the smooth as silk finish is the thing. No need to wait. Soft and lush now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Rich and spicy with silky tannins and ripe (for Cab Franc) fruit....rather hedonistic, this reminds me more of a great Pomerol, but with a very Italian oak-treatment (Slavonian oak? anyway, it's that Ital-typical spicy oak).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Hilton's cellar. Lovely Cab Franc nose. Not giving anything on the palate though, so we went to dinner and came back 2 hrs later. Becoming lush. Still needed another few hours. Brilliant wine though. Italy's version of Cheval.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Color: Opaque Purple; Garnet @ the Rim Nose: Stewed Plums, Dried Flowers, Mashed Peas, Leather & Caramel; Great Old World Complexity Taste: Lush, Juicy & Full on the Palate; Excellent Weight; Notes of Plums, Asparagus & Black Pepper; Like so many well crafted wines, it exhibits heft and elegance in the same breadth; Very polished and well made; Bright, tart acidity, which wasn't noticeable when paired with strip steak, but moreso when drank by itself; Med/long finish; Plenty of Structure; Excellent food wine. 93+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Beautiful wine. At the pop of the cork, I could tell this would be something special. There was this haunting floral quality that reminded me of violets. Also in the mix, were iron, tobacco, exotic spices, and dark fruits. The color was ruby with some bricking. On the tongue, it was subtle with notes of chocolate, plums, vanilla, earth, and iron. The wine had a very good complex length. Outstanding.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for 2 hours. Wonderful nose of dark berries, herbs, and spices. The palate wasn't revealing much as it was tight and fairly tannic. Recorked. Day 2...same wonderful nose but with sweet hints of chocolate mixed in. Palate was much better. Ripe red cherry and strawberry with tobacco and spice and finishes with sweet tannins. Full-bodied but very elegant. You can drink now with a long decant but probably best to wait.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wonderfull sweet aromas of strawberry, herbs and coffee. Full-bodied but elegant, balanced, complex, long and quite powerfull. Plenty of silky tannins and it is even better with food, so it will probably improve, but it is irresistible today. What a great Italian wine !
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Aromatics of bell pepper, celery seed, coffee, cherry, meats, tobacco and green tea. On the palate beautiful red fruits, pea pods that transitions to a caramel finish. Moderate Length Moderate complexity. Not an in your face cab franc.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
LPSkeleton comes to town (chicago, IL): nose: big nose of root vegetables(loads of them) with cedar, cranberry, blueberry, and some brown sugar tones thrown in there too
taste: solid feel with firm tannins with a good amount of herbs, blueberry, cedar box, and roots
overall: An excellent wine that has depth and good structure. 100% cab franc's don't do much for me, I've generally found that they work best when mixed with merlot to make that magic happen. It has a very good feel and weight. It was also opened for ~24 hours by the time I got to it, so it may have lost some magic from the night before as LPSkeleton was very high on it
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This bottle was nothing like the other TNs. Lots of bottle sludge again. I suspect some heat damage with my lot purchased from Premier Cru but who knows? Around 87 points after the decant. Disappointing...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Extremely dark purple color with medium body. Brown sugar, violets, leaves, minerals, and chocolate aromas with blackberry, blueberry, plum, sweet dirt, subtle new leather, chocolate, asparagus, and white pepper flavors. Long black peppery finish. Silky and complex, but still young.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
My first experience with this distinctive 100% cab franc (I'll submit my correction to the forum immediately after this post-it's not a "blend"). Quite dark in the restaurant light. Slightly herbaceous minty nose with deep draughts of plummy fruit. Very round and balanced with evident sophistication in the texture. I bought this in Siena last summer and carried it home. Not that it isn't available here but it seemed like a good deal at the time and I wasn't disappointed.
Ok, I missed the wiki entry below-the site's convention is to keep Bordeaux blend though it's been 100% CF since '01. Will remember to check before I make my next pronouncement.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Three hours of sleep, a huge hangover, terrible stemware and no lunch probably didn’t do this tremendous wine all the justice it deserved. I had brought this myself as it is one the favourite wines of my friend. Had it with huge lambchops, cheese-filled ravioli, pesto genovese and Shitake al Forno. Oh boy, I love this wine. A very complex wine based on 100% Cabernet Franc. Notes of Tobacco, rosemary, thyme, peppermint, liquorice, vanilla and ripe dark fruit lead the show. A perfect structure that holds the typical Bolgheri warmth in place. A long, persistent finish. Excellent! 94 points
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
100 pct Cab Franc, potential is there, but not even 4 hours of decanting did the trick. Eventhough the fruit is there it is still harsh in the mouth, expected more, will not touch another bottle for 5 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
(at Café Troia – Baltimore) Deep and inky. Gorgeous nose – black cherry, herb and a touch of vanilla. Big, explosive and complex. This started out really nicely, but dusty oak began to take over after 30 minutes. This wine needs time (I think) and should either turn out great or will become a structure monster. (92+?)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The herbal, vegetal note in this wine doesn't work with my palate. Otherwise this is probably varietally correct Cab Franc. Lots of bottle sludge so a decant was necessary. There was definite improvement with an hour decant.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wine battle 2 (Niels' place): Very dark. Dark berries, loads of smoke and hung meat, but in an sophisticated way. Full-bodied, seducing and VERY delicious, but also with an intellectual side. A wine to sniff, drink, enjoy and contemplate. The second great Cabernet Franc based wine of the night. Rating: 94+.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very pretty wine with lots of typical Bolgheri character. Raspberry and cherry with hints of rose petals. Vibrant acidity and a spicy cedar elements. Silky tannins. This stuff drinks great now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
wow, and i thought this wine would be better than the 2002. in fact, for my palate, it was not. the nose was an intense vegetal, herbal thing that i found so unappealing. it detracted immensely from the wine. there was a good mouth feel and length, and frankly it tasted a lot better than it smelled. it had good concentration and a silky mouth feel. great wine if u did not have to smell it...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
100% Cabernet Franc. This wine was a hedonists delight. Dark purple, dense, plush, highly aromatic, with fruit and floral aromas just exploding out of the glass. On the palate, initially tart blueberry flavors gave way to sweet blackberry pie and warm baking spice, with some black licorice, sweet oak, and smooth tannins on the finish. This was really good, and will be amazing in five years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Clearly a food wine. A bit dense on the nose, and follows through with a deep somewhat austere mouthfeel. rather a monolithe at present(and a suprisingly short finish), and my hope is that a few years will allow the complexity to come through. My wife swapped hers out for a nice CNDP half way through dinner for more flavour.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark ruby with black tinges. Herbed nose with a hint of green pepper. Also shows blueberry, currant, plums, and cherry. Medium-full bodied, plenty of tannin and oak. Moderate finish, 35s, with oak, tannin, and black fruit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
10/2/2023 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 96 Points
Fresh, robust, ripe and delicious, with loads of peppery red and black fruit, complemented by lush oak notes that suit the fruit well. What it may lack in elegance, is more than made up for by the warmth and intensity of the wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/10/2022 - wine4ever Likes this wine:
Decanted for sediment and started drinking within 5 minutes. Beautiful wine in a lovely spot. Still very fresh and vibrant and full of ripe, dark fruit with touches of spice. A wonderful example of Cab Franc. Solidly straddling near the extraordinary realm of wines. Ready to drink now, over time gets more herbaceous and heavier. Super long finish, silky smooth texture keeps drawing you in for more. Probably at or slightly past peak, but should keep evolving over the short term. We have one more which we plan to drink within the next 5 years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/6/2022 - shafer1994 Likes this wine: 93 Points
No decant, the wine opened up immediately after pouring in the Glas. Red color with brownish boundaries. Ripe dark fruit and a wonderful sweetness in the nose. Round and silky texture. Long, elegant finish with very polished tannins. A fully developed wine. I would not wait too long although I think there are some more years left. But I doubt that the wine will develop further.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/17/2022 - Filippo Likes this wine: 96 Points
Sensational!!!! Perfect Paleo with the added elegance from long aging.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/28/2021 - brasstab Likes this wine: 94 Points
Unbridled elegance. Earth and graphite and dark (very) fruit, with a muscular acidic finish. Refined tannins. Paired with bucatini a’lla amatriciana.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/20/2020 - PourSomeRed wrote: 94 Points
Delicious! Ripe fruit and well balanced. Drinking well now. Heading towards its later stages.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/11/2020 - sirpat00 wrote: 94 Points
Decant strongly advised to get rid of the sediment. Ripe dark and red berries presented in a somewhat sweet, jammy fashion. Plenty of dried herbs and over time also more fresh, minty notes. Over time turned gamy as dried meat flavors emerged. Tertiary aromatics linger somewhere in the background but very subtle. A full-bodied cab franc with good depth to it. Fresh and clearly red fruit on the palate, a tad acidic maybe, but with perfectly integrated tannin. This is in a great state right now. Even if more tertiary aromatics could potentially add additional layers to the complexity with more bottle age, I’m worries this is not structured for much more aging. I'm just at the beginning of exploring the Le Macchiole range but I have to say I was already impressed by the Messorio (2012, 2013) and the Paleo 2001 is again great and for me even a whisker ahead of the 2013 which was probably one of the top 3 vintages since 2001. Will look to check out the 2010 and 2012 hopefully soon. As you would expect from a great Super-Tuscan, this combines Old World elegance with New World ripeness and power. Unfortunately, often this doesn't work. But Le Macchiole figured it out.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/10/2020 - baroloboy55-2.0 wrote: 94 Points
This was a stunningly fresh bottle; while I'm not prone to be as exuberant is Galloni is, this bottle is showing very well after nearly two decades, most of the stored in the coolest part of my passive cellar. And I've not had a Paleo of later vintage that matches this effort. Bright, acidic, perhaps a bit polished, showed very well against some other excellent Tuscan/Central Italy wines. I had debated whether to drink in this context or with French cab francs, and glad I made this decision. To my palate outshone an 01 Brunello from Ciacci, an 04 Flaccianello (which showed better than the last one I had), or an 06 Giusto di Notri which was the proximate cause of brining this wine...
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/29/2019 - theharve wrote: 87 Points
fruit dimishing faster than tannins. Try in one yr. not optimistic.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/22/2019 - maxima wrote: 89 Points
Souple et à point je dirais,
semble plus sur la finesse et
la douceur que les autres millésimes.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/6/2019 - Rollerball wrote: 93 Points
Splash decanter and poured, this played perfectly the role of middle of party, ready-to-drink, interesting and pleasurable to the sophisticateds and the couldn’t-care-lesses. Dense dark and lush; nothing like a Loire cab franc. The oak and fruit gave integrated with age into some lovely toffee notes. Great showing without demanding an ovation.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/30/2018 - dbkitc wrote: 93 Points
An interesting Wine to have followed over the years. Fully mature but with lots of life left. Rich, creamy fruit profile with some forest notes. Despite the heft, it is not heavy and finishes well. Good stuff. (93)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/14/2018 - straight outta iowa wrote: 90 Points
Double decanted from magnum and consumed with a variety of Italian cuisine at Lucca DSM, this wine was very much as I expected: a very modern, very extracted version of cab franc. Three of the four at the table really liked it. Admittedly it is a sexy wine, and demands very little. Big yet balanced, silky texture, and long finish. Fruit seemed black cherry/cranberry. Those who prefer that will likely love the wine. After 17 years, the end seems nowhere near from magnum. On the other hand, this wine could have been made from any number of grapes, and could have been from anywhere in the world. If I drank it blind, I would not have been surprised to learn it was a Cali cab or an Argentinian malbec. Could ascertain neither typical cab franc vegetal/barnyard nor Tuscan herbs. Nota bene: It threw off an enormous amount of sediment prior to dinner.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/19/2018 - sababa1022 wrote: flawed
Opened two bottles. One delicious. One corked.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/25/2017 - forceberry wrote: 93 Points
The first vintage of Paleo that was 100% Cabernet Franc. 13,5% alcohol. Tasted alongside most of the Paleo vintages from 2013 to 1993.
Luminous and pretty translucent cherry red color that surprisingly lacks the developed tawny hue of the surrounding vintages. Sweet but quite restrained nose with subtle aromas of ripe blackcurrant, some black cherries, a little bit of tobacco, a hint of raisin and a touch of earthiness. The new oak aromas seem to have integrated pretty fully with the fruit at this point. The wine is medium-bodied, quite dry and pretty structured on the palate with intense flavors of wizened dark forest berries, some sweet raisiny fruit, a little bit of astringent berry skin character, a little bit of earthiness and hints of roasted spices and pipe tobacco. The acidity feels high and the tannins still retain quite a bit of grip, giving the wine firm and chewy texture. All in all the age is finally starting to show slightly and the pieces seem to fit here quite perfectly. The finish is long, grippy and a bit bitter with intense and pretty savoy flavors of wizened dark berries, fresh sour plums, some prunes, a hint of earth and a touch of cigar box.
A very harmonious and beautifully aged vintage of Paleo that is a bit more elegant and low-key than many of the surrounding vintages, yet still the wine retains that pretty tightly-knit and serious structure that is the hallmark of this wine. Flavor-wise the wine is starting to reach its apogee, but the structure is still so very tightly-knit that I can imagine it will take many years more for the wine to fully resolve in that department. Might gain a further point with more bottle age. A fine Paleo vintage and an impressive effort to be the first vintage in this new style.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/3/2017 - sshayfin wrote: 94 Points
dark ruby color,
triatry leather aromas with green pepper bouquet,
medium body, well structured with soft firm tannins and good acidity.
long aftertaste, very complex.
aging pot: 5-8 years
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/3/2017 - Yagil wrote: 92 Points
quality mature Italian wine tasting (at my home): dark opaque red-purple
rich dark fruits nose with green-bell-pepper notes and truffles-leather hints
full bodied, silky tannins, rich fruity flavours, excellent balance, harmony and structure, well complexed, dark fruits, truffles, tobacco, eucalyptus hints, long finish and aftertaste.
excellent wine. ready now.
15 hours later: the wine is fully aired, still very enjoyable and in excellent condition.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/7/2016 - BradE wrote:
Drank the 2012 and 2001 Paleo. What a great expression of Cabernet Franc. The 2012 was fresh and needs some time. The 2001 is fully developed and should be drunk if you own it. A great producer, great wines.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/4/2016 - Italiana Likes this wine:
Absolutely fabulous! Cork wet up to the half-way point. Beautiful lively deep purple. Bosque-y aromas. No decant or air time. Instant hit of ripe fruit, followed by a panoply of a thousand points of flavor. Nice level of acidity. Tannins present but never intruded. Silky texture. Oh, how I hope that remaining bottles deliver at this level.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/22/2015 - dbkitc wrote: 93 Points
By far the best bottle of this wine. So much more in balance.... Still full of plum fruit but silky and full of life. Super. (93)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/9/2015 - paulst Likes this wine: 88 Points
Some light blackberry; tart and herbaceous; moderate finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/5/2014 - dbkitc wrote: 89 Points
Still deep garnet color. Interesting nose of spicy green pepper and blackberry sorbet. A bit of vanilla bean as well. Rich but not heavy palate - saturating and modern in profile. Very nice but could use a bit more flavor interest - a bit of a bruiser. (89)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/16/2013 - Italiana wrote:
Sourced from Premier Cru. Had high hopes for this bottle. Corked extracted easily, streaked up by 1/3. Surprisingly deep color. Shy aromas. Initial taste showed a thin and hollow flavor, dominated by tartness. Left the bottle open for around 2 hours, hoping that the wine would gain some weight with air. Alas, not to be. Drinkable, but fruitless.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/8/2013 - winejnky wrote: 90 Points
Nose: graphite and tar, currants
Flavor: Dried cranberry, currant and strawberry
Profile: dry, old world, mildly tannic, oaky
This bottle is perhaps 25-30% past peak, but still in decent shape and enjoyable to drink.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/10/2013 - Yagil wrote: 92 Points
Sextet, that became a Septet, 3rd meeting: Super Tuscan evening (Cucina Tamar, hosted by Mati): see my previous TN
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/28/2013 - Tim Heaton wrote: flawed
Corked. Now this is just too bad, partly because I've been wanting to taste it, but also because there was an undeniably huge, pretty core of gorgeous fruits just underneath the blanket of TCA. Sigh.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/26/2013 - Italiana Likes this wine: 90 Points
This bottle was consumed over two nights. Medium deep red. Fresh aromas. Assertive flavor profile, but less of fruit than tobacco and oak elements. Nice acidity--not at all flabby. Tannins nicely hidden until emerging on the finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/26/2013 - paulst Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nice texture with deep blackberry and well integrated sweet tannins.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (3)
4/30/2013 - williamswhine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Really enjoyed this wine-- surprisingly smooth. Definitely has aged very nicely, big dark berry nose, leather, soft. Terrific Cab Franc!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/28/2013 - Outplaying wrote:
Really enjoyed this. Soft, elegant and dry, lots of leather and tobacco along with the darker fruits. Along with the Flaccianello, my favorite of the night.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/18/2013 - winejnky wrote: 92 Points
Refreshingly pure expression of Cabernet franc, minty, smooth, blackberry, earthy and perhaps a touch of sweet vanilla/charred oak. Lighter wine, but with real character and very classic to type.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/29/2012 - Yagil wrote: 92 Points
Very dark red-black.
Pleasant classic Cabernet Franc aromas, refined nose of tobacco, berry fruit, light spices and minerals. Classy in its flavors, complex, elegant, with notes of chocolate, vanilla & earth. Plenty of silky tannins. Medium finish. Can be enjoyed on its own or with delicate meat. Hard to recognize that it's 100% Cabernet Franc. Enjoyable!!!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/23/2012 - paulst wrote: 86 Points
Disappointing nose with a damp cork aroma; moderate blackberry with sweet tannins at times, but overwhelmed by mustiness.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/4/2012 - winejnky wrote: 91 Points
Typical dry Italian wine, still quite tannic and showing some oak in the background. Earthy, mushroom, mint, blackberry flavors. Kind of a chameleon of a wine, changing as it opens up, but overall smooth and somewhat lighter for a "super Tuscan". Set some aside and it really opened up the next day and was still drinking well two days later.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/11/2011 - winejnky wrote: 90 Points
Polished wine, very smooth, mellow tannins, some herbal/green notes, but balanced by blackberry, tea and woodsy fruit. Hard to tell that this is 100% Cab Franc, but clearly European wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/8/2011 - meatman wrote: 91 Points
Only had a small glass but was noticeably fuller and sweeter than the other Italian wines consumed last night. Nice wine but I think it still needs time or a good decant.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/24/2011 - paulst wrote: 92 Points
Some leather; nicely textured; smooth; sweet earthy blackberry fruit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/14/2011 - carlwhat wrote:
this wine has certainly gotten better over the years, but for my palate, i think it's in need of at least another 4-5 years before hitting its stride.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/10/2011 - Amerique wrote: 94 Points
Elegant, soft, round, full-bodied black cherry fruit with slightly herbal and stony flavors, excellent structure, nice minerality, very dry, finish a little short, showed bottle age, very much at its peak
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/27/2011 - Yagil wrote: 91 Points
the bottles was opened 72 hours ago and is still live & kicking - very enjoyable, though a slight decline is observed.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/26/2011 - Yagil wrote: 91 Points
the bottles was opened 48 hours ago and is still live & kicking - very enjoyable
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/25/2011 - Yagil Likes this wine: 92 Points
the bottles was opened 24 hours ago and is still live & kicking - very enjoyable
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/24/2011 - Yagil Likes this wine: 92 Points
Toscana triumvirate, round #1, meeting #2 (at Yagil's): (opened 4 hours before consumption to below shoulders)
Very dark red-black.
Pleasant classic Cabernet Franc aromas, refined nose of tobacco, berry fruit, light spices and minerals. Classy in its flavors, complex, elegant, with notes of chocolate, vanilla & earth. Plenty of silky tannins. Medium finish. Can be enjoyed on its own or with delicate meat. Hard to recognize that it's 100% Cabernet Franc. Enjoyable!!!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/17/2011 - mcnfarmer wrote: 90 Points
Once uncorked, this busty, luscious old world wine takes over. Savored with duck at LaTour in Ridgewood, NJ; a solid pairing. Dry, rich, flavorful, spicy, this Tuscan beauty brings back memories of my trip there this past fall. A must have for a serious cellar; this will drink well for the next several years, but there's no need to wait; start drinking now!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/5/2011 - Employee500 wrote: 94 Points
Rich but elegant, terrific Cab Franc (though to me tastes more like a Merlot/Cab Franc blend), this has been an extremely consistent performer for me. Perhaps a hint of leafy/tobacco, but mostly this is ripe fruit with raspberry and blackberry, chocolate, and cedar.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/29/2010 - Jossik wrote: 86 Points
vinone pieno, note di marmellata di ciliegia e acciuga, non il mio vino ma fatto e costruito bene
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/23/2010 - Wayne Richmon wrote: 94 Points
Needed 5 hours to open up fully but beautiful at that point. Firm deep garnet color, rich ripe fruit, luscious body and a lengthy finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/23/2010 - cubswinws wrote: 92 Points
A wonderful wine with 4-5 years of continued improvement. Drinking very nicely now. Tannins soft and nice smokey tobacco notes.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/27/2010 - aavello wrote: 91 Points
Big violets, roses, and big cherry finish. Big bouquet.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/5/2010 - EleonoraScholes wrote: 90 Points
100% Cabernet Franc. Dramatic change in style from previous. Very Cabernet in the nose - leafy, cedary, focused and expressive. Structured yet flowing on the palate. Fresh and mineral, red fruit, velvety tannins. Cedar and spices in the finish. Tasted at the producer.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/24/2010 - Filippo wrote: 95 Points
Wow! Paleo is always amazing. Starts with tobacco leaves, fresh herbs, a touch of wet earth, all together with ripe red fruit, a hint of sandalwood, a touch of vanilla. All perfectly balanced together with harmonious acidity. Tannins still there...this one has still a long life ahead.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/15/2009 - baroloboy55 wrote: 93 Points
Really fine, elegant cab franc with great Tuscan soul and acidic streak. Elegance was a nice counterpoint to some bigger, more extracted Cali examples, including Jonata... I'm a big believer in this wine, though the group seemed to prefer the Cali examples
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/13/2009 - steffenpelz wrote:
Year-End Wine Salon (Mirabelle Restaurant): Oak, turpentine, primary fruit, classic Italian wine funk, briary underbrush and rosemary stem. Violets, charred earth and oak. Certainly not terrible, but too oaky and cloying for me to find it exciting.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/9/2009 - austinwinesalon wrote: 92 Points
The Salon's first lab (Mirabelle Restaurant Austin, Texas): Had dark fruit, earthiness, some tobacco, blackberry, cherry, even cranberrry fruit. Was balanced, big, and bold, a bit rustic but full-bodied and a mouthful - a favorite of the salon.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/5/2009 - Wayne Richmon wrote: 93 Points
Elegant, refined, lush dark fruit with soil and herb flavors, nice tannins, very good finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/3/2009 - Yagil wrote: 91 Points
Very good & classic aroma, still a bit closed in taste (after 4 hours from opening).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/12/2009 - Yagil wrote: 91 Points
(At Cloalis restaurant with the Sextet) opened 2 hours before serving and reduced to LS.
Pleasant classic Cabernet Franc aromas, refined nose of tobacco, berry fruit, light spices and minerals. Classy in its flavors, complex, elegant, with notes of chocolate, vanilla & earth. Plenty of silky tannins. Medium finish. Can be enjoyed on its own or with delicate meat. Enjoyable, though I had higher expectations after having started knowing this wine with the 2004 Paleo.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/30/2009 - tcfishler wrote:
Blind Italians: Medium dark murky garnet. Baking spices dominate the quite oaky nose, although some smoky herbs creep into the picture as well. Round but with a peppery jazz to it. This was believed to be the Il Carbonaione by myself and the group.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/21/2009 - buckeye76 wrote: 93 Points
RICH BERRY FRUIT WITH LICORICE IN THE NOSE AND FLAVOR. NICE COMPLEXITY AND A LONG FINISH.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/26/2009 - Amerique wrote: 94 Points
Soft, round, elegant, lush black cherry fruit with soily, herb, and chocolate flavors, ample tannins, good finish
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/13/2009 - Winetex wrote:
Maybe 90 pts. Another soaked cork (not a joke) with very solid tasting wine. There was definitely an herbal element to this 100% cab franc wine. I suspect that my bottles are not the wine that this could be. Purchased from Premier Cru. This bottle had a large amount of sediment.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/31/2009 - giba ochman wrote: 90 Points
100% cabernet franc/13,5%, dark purple color, the nose is very good, with chocolate, herbs, and berries. On the palate (after 2-3 hours), nice acidity with a mix of chocolate, spyces, tobacco, and berries (lack in harmony). Strong and rustic tannins. Moderate complexity and finish. Needs time (at least 3-5 years). Now-90. Can improve 2-3 points.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/29/2009 - A&C wrote: 90 Points
For some reason, this was not in my cellartracker inventory. Odd. Anyway, while my wife was at book club, and I had the kids, I popped and poured this wine. The color is a rich dark color, but with purple edges. On the nose, it smells of cinnamon, twigs, and cherries. On the palate, this is a very, very soft wine. Feminine, smooth, and plums. It has that funny Italian thing, which makes it truly Italian for me. No big tannins. Smooth, soft and subtle, yet with some good underlying fruit. A little mismatched with the grilled curry vegetables I cooked up, which were big, vibrant, bold and spicy. Would pair better with pasta. Once I got rid of the big over-the-top spicy food, I appreciated the very soft and very plum infused wine. Very open. Very fruity. Reminds me of an Andrus Reserve, before Gary Andrus left. The nose is not the thing with this wine, but the smooth as silk finish is the thing. No need to wait. Soft and lush now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/6/2009 - Employee500 wrote: 94 Points
Rich and spicy with silky tannins and ripe (for Cab Franc) fruit....rather hedonistic, this reminds me more of a great Pomerol, but with a very Italian oak-treatment (Slavonian oak? anyway, it's that Ital-typical spicy oak).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/29/2008 - G SQUARED wrote: 94 Points
Hilton's cellar. Lovely Cab Franc nose. Not giving anything on the palate though, so we went to dinner and came back 2 hrs later. Becoming lush. Still needed another few hours. Brilliant wine though. Italy's version of Cheval.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/20/2008 - aavello wrote: 90 Points
pepper notes with hints of cherry.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/26/2008 - carnyc wrote: 93 Points
Color: Opaque Purple; Garnet @ the Rim
Nose: Stewed Plums, Dried Flowers, Mashed Peas, Leather & Caramel; Great Old World Complexity
Taste: Lush, Juicy & Full on the Palate; Excellent Weight; Notes of Plums, Asparagus & Black Pepper; Like so many well crafted wines, it exhibits heft and elegance in the same breadth; Very polished and well made; Bright, tart acidity, which wasn't noticeable when paired with strip steak, but moreso when drank by itself; Med/long finish; Plenty of Structure; Excellent food wine. 93+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/14/2008 - Employee500 wrote: 93 Points
Lush and (for Cab Franc) ripe.....very drinkable and delicious.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/27/2008 - mebydef wrote: 96 Points
Beautiful wine. At the pop of the cork, I could tell this would be something special. There was this haunting floral quality that reminded me of violets. Also in the mix, were iron, tobacco, exotic spices, and dark fruits. The color was ruby with some bricking. On the tongue, it was subtle with notes of chocolate, plums, vanilla, earth, and iron. The wine had a very good complex length. Outstanding.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/7/2008 - meatman wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. Wonderful nose of dark berries, herbs, and spices. The palate wasn't revealing much as it was tight and fairly tannic. Recorked. Day 2...same wonderful nose but with sweet hints of chocolate mixed in. Palate was much better. Ripe red cherry and strawberry with tobacco and spice and finishes with sweet tannins. Full-bodied but very elegant. You can drink now with a long decant but probably best to wait.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/15/2008 - Whitman wrote: 95 Points
Wonderfull sweet aromas of strawberry, herbs and coffee. Full-bodied but elegant, balanced, complex, long and quite powerfull. Plenty of silky tannins and it is even better with food, so it will probably improve, but it is irresistible today. What a great Italian wine !
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/23/2008 - LPskeleton wrote: 93 Points
Aromatics of bell pepper, celery seed, coffee, cherry, meats, tobacco and green tea. On the palate beautiful red fruits, pea pods that transitions to a caramel finish. Moderate Length Moderate complexity. Not an in your face cab franc.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/10/2008 - KeithAkers wrote: 90 Points
LPSkeleton comes to town (chicago, IL): nose: big nose of root vegetables(loads of them) with cedar, cranberry, blueberry, and some brown sugar tones thrown in there too
taste: solid feel with firm tannins with a good amount of herbs, blueberry, cedar box, and roots
overall: An excellent wine that has depth and good structure. 100% cab franc's don't do much for me, I've generally found that they work best when mixed with merlot to make that magic happen. It has a very good feel and weight. It was also opened for ~24 hours by the time I got to it, so it may have lost some magic from the night before as LPSkeleton was very high on it
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/28/2008 - Winetex wrote:
This bottle was nothing like the other TNs. Lots of bottle sludge again. I suspect some heat damage with my lot purchased from Premier Cru but who knows? Around 87 points after the decant. Disappointing...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/9/2008 - zephyr04 wrote: 88 Points
Extremely dark purple color with medium body. Brown sugar, violets, leaves, minerals, and chocolate aromas with blackberry, blueberry, plum, sweet dirt, subtle new leather, chocolate, asparagus, and white pepper flavors. Long black peppery finish. Silky and complex, but still young.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/15/2008 - bevetroppo wrote: 91 Points
My first experience with this distinctive 100% cab franc (I'll submit my correction to the forum immediately after this post-it's not a "blend"). Quite dark in the restaurant light. Slightly herbaceous minty nose with deep draughts of plummy fruit. Very round and balanced with evident sophistication in the texture. I bought this in Siena last summer and carried it home. Not that it isn't available here but it seemed like a good deal at the time and I wasn't disappointed.
Ok, I missed the wiki entry below-the site's convention is to keep Bordeaux blend though it's been 100% CF since '01. Will remember to check before I make my next pronouncement.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/5/2007 - Employee500 wrote: 94 Points
Just delicious! Combines the best of both New World and Old...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/4/2007 - wineismylife wrote: 91 Points
WIML91. 100% Cabernet Franc. I liked the wine but I think it needs more time in bottle. Hold another year or so.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/22/2007 - Brnshj22 wrote: 94 Points
Three hours of sleep, a huge hangover, terrible stemware and no lunch probably didn’t do this tremendous wine all the justice it deserved. I had brought this myself as it is one the favourite wines of my friend. Had it with huge lambchops, cheese-filled ravioli, pesto genovese and Shitake al Forno. Oh boy, I love this wine. A very complex wine based on 100% Cabernet Franc. Notes of Tobacco, rosemary, thyme, peppermint, liquorice, vanilla and ripe dark fruit lead the show. A perfect structure that holds the typical Bolgheri warmth in place. A long, persistent finish. Excellent! 94 points
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/10/2007 - PatrikO wrote: 88 Points
100 pct Cab Franc, potential is there, but not even 4 hours of decanting did the trick. Eventhough the fruit is there it is still harsh in the mouth, expected more, will not touch another bottle for 5 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/9/2007 - Mondial wrote: 95 Points
drank after giving it as a housewarming gift
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/9/2007 - dbkitc wrote: 92 Points
(at Café Troia – Baltimore) Deep and inky. Gorgeous nose – black cherry, herb and a touch of vanilla. Big, explosive and complex. This started out really nicely, but dusty oak began to take over after 30 minutes. This wine needs time (I think) and should either turn out great or will become a structure monster. (92+?)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/21/2007 - Employee500 wrote: 94 Points
Delicious, silky and seductive. The best 100% Cab Franc I've ever had....
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/18/2007 - Winetex wrote: 89 Points
The herbal, vegetal note in this wine doesn't work with my palate. Otherwise this is probably varietally correct Cab Franc. Lots of bottle sludge so a decant was necessary. There was definite improvement with an hour decant.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/29/2007 - Brnshj22 wrote: 93 Points
93 with room for improvements
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/20/2007 - gorm wrote: 94 Points
Wine battle 2 (Niels' place): Very dark. Dark berries, loads of smoke and hung meat, but in an sophisticated way. Full-bodied, seducing and VERY delicious, but also with an intellectual side. A wine to sniff, drink, enjoy and contemplate. The second great Cabernet Franc based wine of the night. Rating: 94+.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/17/2007 - Employee500 wrote: 92 Points
Very pretty wine with lots of typical Bolgheri character. Raspberry and cherry with hints of rose petals. Vibrant acidity and a spicy cedar elements. Silky tannins. This stuff drinks great now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/25/2007 - carlwhat wrote: 87 Points
wow, and i thought this wine would be better than the 2002. in fact, for my palate, it was not. the nose was an intense vegetal, herbal thing that i found so unappealing. it detracted immensely from the wine. there was a good mouth feel and length, and frankly it tasted a lot better than it smelled. it had good concentration and a silky mouth feel. great wine if u did not have to smell it...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/9/2007 - Rex66 wrote: 94 Points
100% Cabernet Franc. This wine was a hedonists delight. Dark purple, dense, plush, highly aromatic, with fruit and floral aromas just exploding out of the glass. On the palate, initially tart blueberry flavors gave way to sweet blackberry pie and warm baking spice, with some black licorice, sweet oak, and smooth tannins on the finish. This was really good, and will be amazing in five years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/11/2006 - huntly wrote: 89 Points
Clearly a food wine. A bit dense on the nose, and follows through with a deep somewhat austere mouthfeel. rather a monolithe at present(and a suprisingly short finish), and my hope is that a few years will allow the complexity to come through.
My wife swapped hers out for a nice CNDP half way through dinner for more flavour.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/27/2005 - futronic wrote: 89 Points
Dark ruby with black tinges. Herbed nose with a hint of green pepper. Also shows blueberry, currant, plums, and cherry. Medium-full bodied, plenty of tannin and oak. Moderate finish, 35s, with oak, tannin, and black fruit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment